For the third consecutive year, Shirley and Larry Bowden are funding, from an IRA distribution, a $1,000 consecutive PHS Scholarship Fund scholarship for a member of the Platteville High School Class of 2014.
The Bowdens will award this year’s scholarship in May to a Hillman who will attend Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in Fennimore and/or major in nursing.
Shirley Bowden was a nursing educator at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College for more than 20 years. She now enjoys seeing many former students who are employed in rewarding nursing careers in this area. She graduated from Darlington High School, earned a nursing diploma at Mercy School of Nursing, and continued with a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Upper Iowa University and a Master of Science in Education at UW–Platteville.
“We believe that SWTC has a very strong nursing program,” she said. “The majority of our local area nurses attend this program and we want to help others pursue their nursing careers.”
Larry Bowden graduated from Cuba City High School and Madison Area Technical College. He went on to serve in the U.S. Navy, then earned a Bachelor of Science degree from UW–Platteville and a Master of Business degree from the University of Dubuque.
“The local businesses that provide matching funds allow our donation to have more impact,” he said. “Both Shirley and I want to support students attending SWTC as it is very affordable and provides an excellent education.”
In 2012, Bowden Scholarship recipient Brittany Hirsch, daughter of Andrew and Teresa Hirsch, went on to SWTC to study nursing, and after graduation plans to continue her education at UW–Milwaukee.
From the PHS Class of 2013, Cora Smith is also attending Southwest Wisconsin Technical College in the field of Human Services. Cora’s parents are Coco Johnson and Gene Coplien.
PHS seniors who wish to apply for a PHS Scholarship Fund scholarship can pick up an application in the PHS guidance office.
The recipient of this scholarship and many others will be announced during the PHS Awards ceremony in the spring.
The PHS Scholarship Fund’s mission is to expand access to higher education for the students of the Platteville School District. The Fund fulfills this mission primarily by providing higher education scholarships for Platteville graduates to help them further their post-high school education.
“We have been given $15,500 in community challenge matching fund donations from local businesses this year,” said Sheila Kelley, chair of the PHS Scholarship Fund Advisory Board. “The Bowdens are helping us to attain the needed community matching funds yet again. We are two-thirds of the way to meet the challenge, but we still need help. The deadline for the challenge match is Feb. 28.
“We very much appreciate the Bowdens’ contribution and those planning or thinking of doing the same. Gifts of any amount are encouraged.”
For further information or to establish a scholarship endowment fund, contact Kelley, 348-2615, sheilak@kopplaw.net, or CFSW Donor Services Representative Barb Daus, 778-3344, barb@cfsw.org.
